Reflections - Immerse Yourself—One General Synod Experience - Delegate Rev. Doug Fauth

While I re-acclimate after nearly three weeks away for General Synod and vacation, I want to share with you just a bit about my experiences as a Wisconsin Conference delegate at the UCC General Synod held in Grand Rapids in late June. This is more than a “what I did this summer” essay. I think it’s important that members in all UCC congregations have at least some sense of connection with the wider church.

In an official sense, the General Synod meets every two years to give direction to the national UCC for the next two years, and speak through resolutions and proclamations from church perspective to the issues and concerns of our time. But General Synod is, in reality, an incredible experience that has many facets beyond internal church business and ’politics’.

The General Synod experience is about worship and singing and dancing with more than 3,000 in ways traditional and extraordinary. General Synod is exhibits and vendors (a la trade shows), shared meals, and being inspired by great speakers, musicians, and artists. General Synod is a “family reunion” of (in my case) many, many old friends and making new friends (although it was nice to run into Audrey & Chris and Chris’ brother, as well as Marlea and her mother a few times!). General Synod is a celebration of being “one” with a diverse group, most of whom have never met before, but with whom we are kin across the miles.

Of particular note, we elected New York Conference Minister Rev. Geoffrey Black as the new General Minister & President. Rev. Black will be the UCC’s second African-American General Minister & President. We had a very fond, joyfully tearful, bon voyage celebration of Rev. John Thomas‘ decade as UCC General Minister & President. We dealt with some very complex, controversial, but necessary restructuring and streamlining of the boards of the UCC, with some painful tensions around representation of racial and ethnic minorities. We approved broadened definitions of paths to ministry. And we were introduced to the new “praise” hymnal supplement (I have one copy) which I think it could prove a rich addition to our worship life.

Resolutions dealt with a range of issues: single-payer national health care (the committee I was appointed to); re-negotiation of NAFTA; climate change; ending human trafficking; comprehensive HIV prevention; issues around Iran; examination of the role of UCC predecessors in the “eugenics movement” –a late 1800s-mid 1900s movement involving “improving” the gene-pool (so to speak); and a resolution affirming diversity/multicultural education in public schools particularly around LGBT education.

All this said, my most powerful personal experience was an encounter with a waiter at a Grand Rapids restaurant--a gay man who, in an off-work chat, asked me about the UCC because of all the Synod-related customers he had served. Their joy and friendliness and relaxed, open attitude was so unlike the “church people” he had known, especially growing up in the much more conservative “Christian Reformed” denomination that dominates Western Michigan. By the end of an hour-long conversation with him, about the UCC and saying a lot about our congregation as an example, he seemed determined to make his way to the “ONA” UCC congregation in downtown Grand Rapids, and eager to check out www.ucc.org. When we parted he said, “If we meet again, I think there’ll be a good chance I’ll be a member of the United Church of Christ, too!”

I left General Synod thinking about so many things, grateful for so much, filled with joy, and accepting that, even if my being a delegate was only to encourage a waiter to check out a local UCC congregation and find a different example of “being Christian”, that was more than enough to make it a good trip and a worthwhile extension of my ministry, your ministry, and OUR ministry, together and at a distance.

In the end, I’m more convinced than ever that, to have a truly ‘complete’ experience of what it means to be ‘church’, everyone should make an effort at some point to attend an event like General Synod at least once, whether as a delegate or visitor.

Pastor Doug

Speakers - Liisa Analore

There are a few final pieces rolling around in my mind, reflections from Synod and my intent is to share them with you as my tired mind slowly wakes from a few days of sleep. One of those thoughts is on the array of speakers I was fortunate to be immersed in. Synod offered its' visitors a Saks Fifth Avenue class of speakers who through their articulation of speaking for a committee or ministry of the United Church of christ bore an impecable clear voice. It's this same clarity that is often lacking in many politicians. Having an agenda isn't wrong; quite the contrary. Delivering your "voice" with precision requires a tactful careful dance, that the leaders of the UCC led across our convention center ballroom into a open promenade tango and ending in sycopated separation of a paso doble. The speeches, although unique in steps, and latened with a burdeoning passion were delivered like no other, and while some didn't necessarily agree on the subject, the extrication was absolute.

Time for Business - Delegate Rev. Tisha Brown

Monday morning began with a caucus of the Wisconsin Delegation. Various members of the delegation reported on the work of their committees and we heard from two voices who are opposed to the Single Governance Board that will come before the Synod.I was on the committee that dealt with the resolution entitled “Calling for the Support of H.R. 676 – Single Payer National Health Care Reform to Advance Health Equity for All and to Eliminate Health Disparities." There was overwhelming support for this resolution and recognition that we are currently at a crucial point in our Nation’s history during which we might actually succeed in our efforts to provide health care for all Americans.

Our committee adjusted the resolution slightly to include a set of values and to ask the any legislation that might ultimately come to a vote in the Senat would include those values. We finished our business on Sunday evening and so after the caucus time was over on Monday morning I was free until 3:00 in the afternoon.

Our first order of business for Monday night was Amendments to the Constitution and Bylaws of the UCC that would bring those documents into line with action of the General Synod four years ago to affirm alternate paths to ministry. Alternate Paths to Ministry means that individuals might be ordained, licensed or commissioned for ministry in the UCC by following a variety of paths of study, education and preparation not only a four year college degree and Masters of Divinity. There was residual discussion as we addressed these Bylaws and Constitution changes about affirming our history of an educated clergy. Nevertheless, we affirmed these changes to our Constitution and By-Laws.

We also passed these resolutions: "Calling on President Barack Obama to Revisit and Re-negotiate a More Humane, Democratic, and Ecologically Sound Version of the North American Free Trade Agreement" and "A Call to Awareness and Action to End the Practice of Trafficking in Persons." Other business included voting to confirm Linda Jaramillo as Minister of Justice and Witness Ministries; Stephen Stearner as Minister to Local Church Ministries and Geoffrey Black as General Minister and President and recognizing folks and organizations and churches that have received awared and recognition during Synod.

Monday evening’s business session ended with a beautiful evening prayer service led by a quartet of dancers who took us through the wonder of creation in scripture, movementand song. This was an unexpected highlight of Synod that I almost missed because it was 9:15 p.m. and we had had a long, exhausting day. I’m so glad I didn’t walk out when business ended!Tuesday morning featured another 6:30 a.m. Caucus gathering during which we received additional committee reports and honored the youth delegation from the Wisconsin Conference who have been participating in service projects, attending business sessions and committee meetings and representing the Wisconsin Conference with great maturity and enthusiasm. The first order of business for this morning was the 9 different resolutions addressing the single governance proposal and process.

The committee that had the monumental task of bringing a recommended action to the floor worked through what sounded like an incredible process that resulted in submitting a resolution titled “Toward Unified Governance For the National Setting Of The United Church of Christ.” This resolution’s most significant shift was in changing the words “Single Governance” to the words “Unified Governance.” It also recommended that the Executive Council and the Covenanted Ministries Boards continue holding sacred conversations on race and also continue the process to propose a Unified Governance Proposal for General Synod 28 in 2011. These conversations would be separate from one another but could take place concurrently. The resolution encourages local churches, associations and conferences to discuss the concept of Unified Governance so that the Church is prepared to move on this matter at the next General Synod.After the resolution above was presented to the floor an amendment was offered that was ultimately defeated.

When the allotted time for this business was up the moderator noted that unless there was a motion to continue debate she would be forced to call the question at hand and force a vote on the resolution itself. No one moved to extend debate, the question was called and the resolution passed. This was when the fun really began as there was one young woman who was in line to offer a minority report who was not allowed to speak because the question had been called and the chair had moved on to the next order of business.

The chair of the next committee began his presentation when a small group of those opposed to the resolution gathered in the front of the room and began to sing and clap disrupting the business. The Moderator ruled them out of order but they continued until finally someone gave one of the women in the group an opportunity to speak.

We did finally move on with the agenda to affirm the following resolutions: “An Economic Justice Coveannt;” A Call to be Global Mission Churches in the United Church of Christ;” “A Call for Study of Our Church’s Involvement in the Eugenics Movement;” and “Calling for Comprehensive HIV Prevention in Church and Community.”

Ken Medema, who has been providing musical interludes throughout the various business sessions did a masterful job of singing the pain, tension and hope of the events surround the resolution on Unified Governance. Tuesday's afternoon business session included some additional tensions around LGBT issues as they were raised in a resolution affirming Diversity/Multicultural Education. Members of the Biblical Witness Fellowship raised objection to the idea of including education about LGBT issues as part of diversity education in the schools. Even in the UCC the question of inclusiveness and equality for LGBT people is not a completely settled question.A complete list of resolutions that were presented and acted upon by the General Synod can be found at http://www.ucc.org/ for those who are interested.

Tuesday concluded with a worship service including communion and a party with the Wisconsin Delegation. I am honored to have been a part of the delegation from Wisconsin and to have had the opportunity to be here at this gathering of the national church. I have been reminded this week of the many strengths and some of the weaknesses of our denomination. It is good to see both sides but ultimately to affirm that we are an important and vital witness to the love and justice of Jesus Christ in the world. It will be good to be home. Blessings,Tisha